Automatic rotary-swaging machine for reducing metal-wire parts

ABSTRACT

An automatic rotary swaging machine for reducing parts from wire, such as bycycle spokes and the like, providing continuous operation without time losses for idle runs so as to enhance its efficiency, comprising a reducer head for swaging the wire, a continuous wire feed mechanism and a cut-off mechanism for cutting the reduced part during the motion of the wire wherein the continuous feed of wire, in combination with a cut-off of the reduced part, provides for a highly efficient automatic rotary swaging machine and a high quality for the produced parts.

United States Patent Beletsky et al. 1 Aug. 29, 1972 [54] AUTOMATIC ROTARY-SWAGING 1,074,398 9/1913 'Whyland ..72l72 MACHINE FOR REDUCING METAL- 1,321,729 11/1919 Friel ..72/422 WIRE PARTS lnventors: Nauln Iosifovich Beletsky; Mikhail Lvovich Chepovetsky, both of Kiev, U.S.S.R.

Vsesojumy Proektno-Konstruktorsky Institut Svarochnogo Pro izvodstva, Kiev, U.S.S.R.

Filed: Nov. 18, 1969 Appl. No.: 877,664

Assignee:

US. Cl. .Q ..72/70, 72/76, 721422 Int. Cl. ..B21j .9/06 I Field of Search ..72/70, 72, 76, 77, 78, 275, 72/290, 294, 402, 422, 423

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 8/1897 Morse ..72/70 Primary Examiner-Lowell A. Larson Attorney-Waters, Roditi, Schwartz & Nissen [57] ABSTRACT An automatic rotary swaging machine for reducing parts from wire, such as bycycle spokes and the like, providing continuous operation without time losses for idle runs so as to enhance its efficiency, comprising a reducer head for swaging the wire, a continuous wire feed mechanism and a cut-off mechanism for cutting the reduced part during the motion of the wire wherein the continuous feed of wire, in combination with a cut-off of the reduced part, provides for a highly efficient automatic rotary swaging machine and a high quality for the produced parts.

7Claiirs,4DrawingFigures AUTOMATIC ROTARY-SWAGING MACHINE FOR REDUCING METAL-WIRE PARTS The present invention relates generally to rotaryswaging machines and, more particularly, to automatic rotary-swaging machines for reducing metal-wire parts. The most expedient employment of the invention is for the reduction of bicycle spokes.

Known in the art is a automatic rotary-swaging machine for reducing metal-wire parts.

However, the known automatic swager cuts the finished parts when the metal wire is immovable, that is, when the wire-feed thereof mechanism runs idle. Accordingly, the time wasted during which the wire feed mechanism runs idle causes the prior art automatic swager to possess a low efficiency.

It is a primary object of the present invention to eliminate the above-mentioned disadvantage encountered in the prior art machine.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a continuous automatic rotary-swaging machine that would ensure highly efficient operation without any loss of time due to idle runs thereof.

The aforementioned objects are accomplished by an automatic rotary-swaging machine for reducing metalwire parts, preferably bicycle spokes, comprising the following major components located on the machine bed and operatively connected with one another: a reducer head carrying outer and inner spindles or arbors arranged one within the other and which are adapted to jointly rotate and to hold a working tool therein; a mechanism for cutting off finished parts incorporating a cutting-off or parting tool; and a mechanism to feed metal wire into the reducer head and further to the cutting-off mechanism. According to the invention, the wire-feed mechanism is essentially an endless conveyer carrying clamping fixtures fixed thereon to provide a continuous wire feeding. The conveyer is mounted on a stationary base installed on the machine bed and is operatively connected, via a reducer head outer spindle, with the mechanism for cutting off finished parts, and with the mechanism incorporating a movable body being adapted to hold the cutting-off or parting tool therein. The abovementioned endless conveyer may expediently be made as a chain conveyer.

Each of the clamping fixtures may comprise two jaws, one of which is located on a first body that is rigidly linked to the endless conveyer, while the other jaw is mounted on a second body pivotally mounted with respect to an axle fastened in the former first body, the jaws being brought in contact with each other by the action of a resilient or sprung member. The second of the afore-mentioned bodies carries a roller adapted to interact with a stationary guide block located on a fixed base of the endless conveyer.

Since in the present automatic rotary swaging machine the finished parts are cut off in moving the metal wire, a cutting mechanism is mounted in a body fixed on a saddle whose speed in cutting the finished parts is equal to that of the metal wire, whereas the shear on the metal wire is perpendicular to its axis.

The saddle accommodating the body is kinematically connected to the external spindle of the reducing head and to a worm gear pair whereby the setup motion of the slide accommodating the housing is carried out.

This set-up motion is required when readjusting the automatic rotary swaging machine to manufacture bicycle spokes of different length and consists in that the saddle accommodating the body of the mechanism for cutting off the finished parts is set at different distances from the working tool of the reducing head.

The automatic rotary-swaging machine for reducing metal-wire parts as disclosed according to the present disclosure, is not subjected to anytime losses for idle runs of the wire-feed mechanism, whereby the highly efiicient machining of workpieces is attainable.

The objects of the present invention will become more fully apparent from a consideration of an exemplary embodiment thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. I, I' and I" shows a perspective view of an automatic rotary-swaging machine for reducing metal-wire parts, such as bicycle spokes, according to the invention; and

FIG. 2 is a transverse sectional view of a wire-feed mechanism, according to the invention.

Reference now being had to FIG. I, the automatic rotary-swaging machine for reducing metal-wire parts as described in the present disclosure, comprises a reducer head I, a mechanism 2 for cutting off finished parts, and a mechanism to feed a metal wire 4 from the reducer head I to the cutting-off mechanism 2, all these being located on a machine bed 5 (FIG. I).

The reducer head I incorporates, arranged one within the other, an outer spindle 6 and an inner spindle 7 adapted to cooperatively rotate. These spindles carry working tools, in effect, forcers 8 and swage blocks 9, both of which are arranged within a common slot in the two spindles. The outer spindle 6 runs within a roller holder 10 whose rollers are operatively interengaged with the forcers 8 of the working tool.

The mechanism 3 (FIG.I) for feeding the metal wire 4 (F161) is essentially an endless conveyer made as a chain conveyor, which is mounted on a fixed base lI(FlG.I') is located on the bed 5 (FIG.I).

The endless conveyer comprises two roller chains I2 (FIG. 2) which are interconnected by common shafts I3. Uniformly spaced along the entire length of the endless conveyer are clamping fixtures 14, with each of these fixtures comprising two clamping jaws I5 and I6. The jaw I5 is mounted in the guideways of a body 17 and is adjustable by a screw 18. The body I7 is fixed on a base I9 that is mounted on the two adjacent shafts I3 of the endless conveyer and is rigidly connected to these shafts. Rigidly fastened within the same body [7 is a shaft 20 supporting a body 2I having guideways in which the clamping jaw I6 is located.

Closing of both jaws I5 and I6 is caused by a spring which is essentially a spring 22 adjustable by means of a screw 23. The body 21 carries a roller 24 adapted to interact with a fixed guide block 25 (FIG.I') when the jaws I5 and 16 are brought apart. The fixed guide block 25 is mounted on the stationary base II of the endless conveyor.

In order to facilitate orientation of both jaws I5 and I6 with respect to the axis of the reducer head I (F IG.I') provision is made for rollers 26 which are mounted on the same shafts I3 as the base I9 and located in guideways 27 and 28 fixed in position on the stationary base II of the endless conveyor.

The mechanism 2 for cutting off finished parts comprises a body 29 holding a cutting-off or parting tool which consists of two cut-off dies 30 and 3l of which one indicated at 30, is rigidly connected to a slide block 32 mounted in the same body 29. I

The body 29 is mounted in a saddle 33 that is opera tively connected with the outer spindle 6 (F IG.I) of the reducer head I. The connection is by means of a power train incorporating a screw 34 (FIG.I') an arm 35, a cam 36, a gear quadrant 37, a sprocket 38, a gear reduction unit 39 and a motor 40 (F IG.I) which is connected to the outer spindle 6 via a chain transmission. The arm 35 (FIG.I') is mounted on a pivot 41 fixed on a body 42 of the cutting-off mechanism 2, while the cam 36 is fixed on a pivot 43 on which is held one of the gears (not shown in the drawing) of the gear quadrant 37 on whose output shaft (likewise not illustrated in the drawing) the chain sprocket 38 is secured, linked to the gear reduction unit 39 by means of a chain transmission.

The outer spindle 6 (FIG.I) is interconnected through a chain transmission with a gear reduction unit 44 (FIG;I") which, in turn, is connected via another chain transmission, with a chain sprocket 45 (FIG.I) set on a common shaft with drive sprockets 46 of the endless conveyor, with the sprockets 46 imparting motion to the roller chains 12.

Additionally, the saddle 33 (FIG.I) is interconnected through the screw 34 with a worm-and-worm wheel unit 47 adapted for the set-up motion of the body 29.

The slide block 32 carries a roller 48 adapted to interact (while cutting off every finished part) with a wedge block 49 which is fitted on a pivot 50 and forced, by means of a spring SI, against a stop block 31 held in position on a slide block 53. The latter provides for set-up motion of the wedge block 49 whose pivot 50 is also locked in place on the slide block 53.

The set-up motion of the wedge 49 is required in conjunction with the set-up motion of the saddle 33 accommodating the body 29 during the readjustment of the automatic swaging machine so as to mention their mutual arrangement.

The slide block 53 is fitted in the guideways of the body 42 of the finished parts cutting-off mechanism 2.

The automatic rotary-swaging machine represented in the present disclosure, operates as follows.

The metal wire 4 (FIGJ), which is coiled in a bundle, is taken therefrom by a wire loader mechanism 54 to feed first to a wire straightener mechanism 55, then to the reducer head I, and then to the wire-feed mechanism 3 (FIG.I) until gripped by the jaws I (FIG.I') and I6 of the first clamping fixture I4.

With the motor 40 (FlG.I) switched on, both the outer spindle and the inner spindle 7 of the reducer head I which carry working tools, start rotating concurrently. At the same time, the endless conveycr which carries the clamping fixtures I4 (F 16.1), starts moving. As a result, a continuous feeding of the metal wire 4 gripped by the jaws I5 and I6 that are brought together by the spring 22 (F 16.2) is imparted first to the reducer head I (FIGJ), and then to the finished parts cut-off mechanism 2 (FIG.I). Once the metal wire 4 has been loaded into the machine and caught by the jaws I5 (FIG.I') and I6, the wire loader mechanism 54 (FIGJ) is disengaged.

' With the outer spindle 6 and the inner spindle 7 rotating, the working tool carried thereby, similarly rotates to interact with the rollers of the roller holder 10 and to effect the process of wire area reduction. The periodicity of wire reduction is controlled by a mechanism 56 for axial travel of the inner spindle 7, said mechanism having a cam 57 that is imparted motion via a sprocket (not shown in the drawing) set on the same shaft with the cam. The sprocket, in turn, is connected by a chain transmission with a chain sprocket 58 (FIG.I) set on the shaft 43 common with the cam 36.

The feed of the metal wire 4 (F161) is effected by the clamping fixtures I4 (FIG.I) located on the straight portion of the stretched sides of the chains I2 (FlG.2) of the endless conveyer. When the clamping fixtures I4 move from the straight portion to the curved portions of the chains I2 of the endless conveycr, the roller 24 is free to interact with the fixed guide block 25 (FIG.I') with the result that the body 21 along with the jaw I6 turns about the shaft 20 (FlG.2) thus releasing the metal wire 4. The latter is fed continuously, this being due to the fact that a number of clamping fixtures I4 are always present on the straight portion of the stretched sides of the chains 12 (F IG.2).

The finished parts are cut off with the aid of the cutoff mechanism 2 (F IG.I'), whose body 29 carrying the cut-off dies 30 and 31, is free to be moved by the saddle 33 from the screw 34 when the latter is urged by the arm 35, the latter of which turns round the pivot 41 when interacting with the cam 36. As a result, the travelling speed of the body 29 is equal to that of metal wire 4 (F161) fed by the wire-feed mechanism 3 (F IG.I), which is conducive in attaining a high-quality cutting-off of the wire.

The identical travelling speeds of the metal wire 4 (FIG.I) and of the wire cutting-off tool are attained through in the use of kinematic linkages and connections employed in the present automatic machine.

When the metal wire 4 approaches the cut-off mechanism 2 (FIG.I), the saddle 33 together with the movable body 29 and the slide block 32 is in its initial position.

Cutting-off of the finished parts is caused by interaction of the roller 48 of the slide block 32 with the wedge block 49. As a result, the slide block 32 causes the cut-off die 30 to move in a direction normal to the direction of feed of the metal wire 4. Upon cutting off of a finished wire part, the slide block 32 with the cutoff die 30, is free to return into the initial position under the effect of the spring 59, whereupon the saddle 33 along with the body 29 is also returned into its initial position in response to the urging of the spring 60 which effects positive contact between the screw 34 and the arm 35. a

When the required length of the finished parts is to be varied, the gear ratio in the gear quadrant 37 is likewise varied, so as to result in either increased or diminished rotational time for the cam 36 on, whereas the saddle 33, together with the body 29, is set in a new initial position, in response to the handle 6], which is fixed on the worm shaft of the worm-and-worm wheel 47, is appropriately turned.

The above manipulation of the handle 61 causes the travel of the screw 34, and since the latter is connected to the saddle 33, this is caused to correspondingly travel.

Furthermore, the wedge block 49 is moved together with the saddle 33, for which purpose the slide block 53 is rigidly connected with the saddle 33 through the bar 62 and the dowel pin 63 to provide a lapse of time necessary for the above set-up motion to be performed.

What is claimed is:

1. An automatic rotary-swaging machinefor reducing metal-wire parts, preferably bicycle spokes, comprising: a machine bed; a reducer head located on said bed; an outer spindle arranged in said reducer head; an inner spindle accommodated inside said outer spindle and adapted to rotate cooperatively therewith; a working tool held in said outer and in inner spindles; a mechanism for cutting-off finished parts, said mechanism being mounted on said bed and being in operative connection with said reducer head; a cut-off tool held in a body fixed on a saddle of said mechanism including a gear worm pair mounted on said saddle for cutting-off finished parts; a mechanism to feed said metal wire through said reducer head into mentioned mechanism for cutting off finished parts, said wire-feed mechanism being operatively connected with said reducer head and with said cut-off mechanism via said outer spindle of the afore-mentioned reducer head; said wire-feed mechanism including an endless conveyer for feeding said metal wire, said conveyer being mounted on a fixed base located on said machine bed; clamping fixtures fixed in position on said endless conveyer to ensure a continuous feeding of said metal wire.

2. An automatic rotary-swaging machine as claimed in claim I, wherein said endless conveyer of the mentioned wire-feed mechanism is made essentially as a chain conveyer.

3. An automatic rotary-swaging machines as claimed in claim I, wherein each of the afore-said clamping fixtures comprises a spring member and two clamping jaws of which one is mounted on a first body rigidly connected to the endless conveyer, the other jaw being located on another body mounted pivotably with respect to an axle made fast in the former body; said spring member being adapted to bring said jaws in contact with each other; the latter of the afore-mentioned bodies carrying a roller adapted to interact with a fixed guide block mounted on a stationary base of said endless coneyer.

4. An automatic rotary-swaging machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein each of the afore-said clamping fixtures comprises a spring member and two clamping jaws of which one is mounted on a first body rigidly connected to the endless conveyer, whereas the other jaw is located on another body mounted pivotably with respect to an axle made fast in the former body; said spring member being adapted to bring said jaws in contact with each other; the latter of the afore-mentioned bodies carrying a roller adapted to interact with a fixed guide block mounted on a stationary base of said endless conveyer.

5. An automatic rotary-swaging machine as claimed in claim I, wherein the body of the'mechanism for cutting-off finished parts is mounted on a saddle operatively interconnected with the outer spindle of the reducer head, and with a worm-and-worm wheel through the agency of which a set-up motion of said body is attainable.

6. An automatic rotary-swaging machine as claimed in claim 2 wherein the body of the mec anism for cutting off finished parts, is mounted on a sa dle operatively interconnectedwith the outer spindle of the reducer head and with a worrn-and-worm wheel through the agency of which a set-up motion of said body is attainable.

7. An automatic rotary-swaging machine as claimed in claim 3, wherein the body of the mechanism for cutting off finished parts, is mounted on a saddle operatively interconnected with the outer spindle of. the reducer head and with a worm-and-worm wheel through the agency of which a set-up motion of said body is attainable. 

1. An automatic rotary-swaging machine for reducing metal-wire parts, preferably bicycle spokes, comprising: a machine bed; a reducer head located on said bed; an outer spindle arranged in said reducer head; an inner spindle accommodated inside said outer spindle and adapted to rotate cooperatively therewith; a working tool held in said outer and in inner spindles; a mechanism for cutting-off finished parts, said mechanism being mounted on said bed and being in operative connection with said reducer head; a cut-off tool held in a body fixed on a saddle of said mechanism including a gear worm pair mounted on said saddle for cutting-off finished parts; a mechanism to feed said metal wire through said reducer head into mentioned mechanism for cutting off finished parts, said wire-feed mechanism being operatively connected with said reducer head and with said cutoff mechanism via said outer spindle of the afore-mentioned reducer head; said wire-feed mechanism including an endless conveyer for feeding said metal wire, said conveyer being mounted on a fixed base located on said machine bed; clamping fixtures fixed in position on said endless conveyer to ensure a continuous feeding of said metal wire.
 2. An automatic rotary-swaging machine as claimed in claim I, wherein said endless conveyer of the mentioned wire-feed mechanism is made essentially as a chain conveyer.
 3. An automatic rotary-swaging machines as claimed in claim I, wherein each of the afore-said clamping fixtures comprises a spring member and two clamping jaws of which one is mounted on a first body rigidly connected to the endless conveyer, the other jaw being located on another body mounted pivotably with respect to an axle made fast in the former body; said spring member being adapted to bring said jaws in contact with each other; the latter of the afore-mentioned bodies carrying a roller adapted to interact with a fixed guide block mounted on a stationary base of said endless coneyer.
 4. An automatic rotary-swaging machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein each of the afore-said clamping fixtures comprises a spring member and two clamping jaws of which one is mounted on a first body rigidly connected to the endless conveyer, whereas the other jaw is located on another body mounted pivotably with respect to an axle made fast in the former body; said spring member being adapted to bring said jaws in contact with each other; the latter of the afore-mentioned bodies carrying a roller adapted to interact with a fixed guide block mounted on a stationary base of said endless conveyer.
 5. An automatic rotary-swaging machine as claimed in claim I, wherein the body of the mechanism for cutting-off finished parts is mounted on a saddle operatively interconnected with the outer spindle of the reducer head, and with a worm-and-worm wheel through the agency of which a set-up motion of said body is attainable.
 6. An automatic rotary-swaging machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein the body of the mechanism for cutting off finished parts, is mounted on a saddle operatively interconnected with the outer spindle of the reducer head and with a worm-and-worm wheel through the agency of which a set-up motion of said body is attainable.
 7. An automatic rotary-swaging machine as claimed in claim 3, wherein the body of the mechanism for cutting off finished parts, is mounted on a saddle operatively interconnected with the outer spindle of the reducer head and with a worm-and-worm wheel through the agency of which a set-up motion of said body is attainable. 